Every successful animation studio had its own humble beginnings, and Pixar knows how far it has come with the success of its latest project, Inside Out 2. But, before all the movies released after the turn of the century, they took pride in their first feature-length animated film, Toy Story, which opened in theaters in 1995.
At the time, animation was already pushing the limits in filmmaking. The technology was limited, as compared to what artists have now, but they did get the job done. However, those parameters also affected the full artistic vision of the studio.
Toy Story Proves Pixar’s Modest Start Despite One Strange Detail
Anyone who grew up watching John Lasseter’s Toy Story back in 1995 would have never noticed, but there is one creepy detail in the first installment that would absolutely send shivers down the spine. In the first scene, Andy had his friends over to celebrate his birthday. He received a bunch of toys and, of course, Buzz Lightyear.
When the frame showed his friends’ faces, they all looked like Andy. Sure, the designers tried to give them different hair colors and clothes to distinguish one from another, but the viewers aren’t feebleminded not to notice they share the same facial structure as Andy.
Indeed, the audience today could cut Pixar animators back then some slack. It was the ‘90s and they were still figuring out how to master human faces in animation. They probably spent a lot of time designing Andy’s face and then copy-pasted the same design to make his friends.
Fast forward to 2019, Toy Story 4 was released. Twenty-four years later since Pixar’s first-ever attempt to produce animated films, the studio has now become one of the leading animation houses in Hollywood.
Toy Story 4 became a major commercial and critical success, grossing over $1 billion in global ticket sales against a budget of $200 million. The character designs have noticeably improved through the years, with fans and critics commending the artists behind them for their attention to detail.
Despite the development, producer Jonas Rivera told CNET that they tried to maintain the film’s graphic consistency. “You would definitely see the progression, but we worked hard in the art department in the way we shot the film to maintain that connectivity,” he stated.
Pixar’s Inside Out 2 Achieves Another Major Milestone
Pixar can definitely say they made it now after they have found their footing in the industry. Its latest success, Inside Out 2, broke the studio’s record by grossing over $1.5 billion worldwide. In fact, it has now joined the league of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, one notch higher than Marvel Studios’ The Avengers. For those who wish to see the movie, it is still showing in theaters and is yet to arrive on the streaming platform.
After a series of flop movies in the past few years, Pixar finally gets back up. The studio has previously announced their plan to bank on their previous successful titles, and it seems like their strategy is working.
Toy Story is available to watch on Disney+.
